Sácr.III,I.. Of Regeneration. 219 Secondly, This OriginalDefilement Bothfrfl andmore immediately corrupt the nature of a man, and thenmediately his perfon , Prim corrumot narttram debate perfonam. Hence is is, that our Childrenhave theirdefilement, whereas our perfo- nall finnes are not communicated to them. Hencealto it is, that an Infant new born, before there be any tinfoil motions, orcxpreflì.ons ofw, yet iscorrupted in its Nature; though it fpeaks no evill, thinks noevill, loveth no evil, yet it is dead in fin, and a child of wrath. Now the grace of Regeneration doth more imme- diately tend toNeale this naturall corruption, and then fccondarily perfonall cor- ¡options. Not asif a Regenerated Father could beget a Regenerated Child al- wayes, for fograce is perfonall, but becaufe it doth fira renew and fanftifie that principle and inward root of all affeftions and aftions in us. It is difputed in the Schools , whether gracebe firs immediately fubjeeted in the very Eflence of the foul, or whether in the faculties and powers of it. But we need notbe fo Meta- phyficall andnice This is enough to conclude, thatgrace doth firft heale and re., new the foul, as it is the principle of all our a&ions; and then when thisFountain is clean,the Breams alío are clean, when this root is Tweet the fruit alto is. This is the good tree, and the good treafure that our Saviour fpeaks of. We fee in the works of Gods Creation and Providence, 6uB be gives Creatures their Nature, theirkind and being; then he commands them to encreafe and multiply. So its here, firBGod gives a fupernaturall life, renewed principles, and then our conver- fation is anfwerable. Now this can never be enough prcffed upon men ; they think by(pirituall and godlyafttonatoget fpirituall nature; they think in Divi- nity as Ariflotle teacheth inMorality, by doing vertuous aelions, to acquire at lair the habits of vertue; but the Scripture is otherwife; we mua firs be born again , wherein we are altogether pa(live, and thereby be inabled to walk holily. Oh. therefore that men wouldconfider there things, then would auditors be fpirituall, when they once are lifted up to this inward fupernaturall life : you arebut Weeds and Brambles, whatBloffoms foever you have, till you than bere- newed. Thirdly, This Corraptien is the feed-plot, androot ofAirhealluat impietiesthat arecommitted by mast Out of chis evil Treafure cameCairn murtherjudaehis Tres-, chery,and whatfoever crimes are at any time committed by the Sons amen ; Da- vidbewailing his Adultery and Marcher,prefently thinketh of this, as the esufe9f all. Thus the work of Regeneration is the feed-plot of all holyaftions. Though the Scripture (ay, By faith Abrahamand1Voah,&c. didfucb worthy eltit ; yet a prin- ciple of Regenerationwas the root of all, therefore it's called Gods Lawwritten inour hearts, his whole Law; fo that whatfoever Godcommands outwardly by his Word, his Spirit doth gracioufly incline us to obey. It is here as it is inOrigi- nalfin, though there be the caufeofall wickedneffe inhim, yet by reafonof com- plexion, or other temptations, he may incline to tine fin morethan another; and there are forne fins which a'mancannot at firf commit, till he be hardened and made obdurate inhis wickedneffe; fo therepre many graces of a more Heroical and noble Nature, at lean the aftions of them, that a man newly regenerated cannot prefently perform. But as your green Timber is not prefently fit tobe made Pillars tobear the weight of anhoule till it hack lain awhile, and the mature of it be excofted ; foneither are new Converts fir for thofe graces of Patience andVio ory over the world by buffering, which yet by degrees they obtain at tall : . And this mightfupport the people of God, who in their temptations are ready to think, that though filch fins, and filchdifficulties may beovercome; yet there are others again which they altogether defpair of ever confiietiltgwith ; They are to know that as the Acorn is the feed'of an Oak, and hath virtually in is all the arengrh &fubaance anOak hath, thus the infufed principle ofgrace bath virtually M it all the excellent exprefiìonsofgrace,which are foapparently abovethem: and thisalto maycomfort the people of God, who fometimesthough perfwadedfilch and fuck graces atein them, yet theyare extreamly afraid there are other s F f a again a.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=